In a significant leap forward for its AI offerings, Anthropic has unveiled a new capability for its Claude AI, enabling it to autonomously execute tasks via your computer. This latest feature empowers users to automatically open files, navigate web browsers and applications, and operate development tools without the need for prior setup, even when they’re not in front of their machine, as announced by the company.

Currently accessible as a research preview, this innovative feature is available to subscribers of Claude Pro and Max. For the moment, the functionality is exclusive to macOS users. This development builds on the autonomous features first introduced with Claude’s 3.5 Sonnet AI model in 2024, and now extends these capabilities to the Code and Cowork AI agents designed for developers.

To utilize this new feature, users must ensure the Claude desktop application is active on a compatible macOS device and paired with the chatbot’s mobile app. The update prioritizes connectors to existing services such as Slack and Google Workspace applications but will seamlessly take control of your browser, mouse, keyboard, and display to execute tasks if no connector is available. Importantly, Anthropic assures users that Claude will always seek explicit permission before proceeding with actions like exploring, scrolling, and clicking to accomplish tasks.

Anthropic highlights that this feature performs exceptionally well when used with Dispatch, a recent cross-device function that allows task delegation to the Claude desktop app from a mobile device. However, the company cautions that it may not always be flawless. “Complex tasks sometimes need a second try, and working through your screen is slower than using a direct integration,” Anthropic noted in their announcement blog. This early release aims to identify both its strengths and areas for improvement.